NEWS OF THE WEEK.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume III, Issue 132, 12 November 1875, Page 11

NEWS OF THE WEEK.

At the new year the Otago Typographical Society intends to publish, under its auspices, a trade circular, to be called the ' New Zealand Typographical Journal.' The President of the Society (Mr. J. "B. Cattle) has been appointed editor and manager. Who says that first-class talent does not command good prices in the Colonies ? Mdlle. di Murska has already netted £6000 by her Australian tour, and her appearances have been continued in Melbourne and Adelaide ; while the Williamsons, [after playing '334 nights in v Australia, have gone to India with £15 S ,OOO. Steebt tramways will, ere long; be an accomplished fact in Wellington. The contractors, Messrs. O'Neill, Henderson and Co., are under contract with the City Council of Wellington to lay down, a tram and have it in operation within eighteen months. The length of the tram would, in our city, be represented from the Cricket Ground to the Water of Leith Bridge. The conti'aetors, in consideration of a ten years' monopoly, which is to include the wharf if desired, undertake to charge a uniform fare of three pence, to convey goods at onehalf less than the present cartage, and to allow the use of the trani for the conveyance of metal for .street repairs. The Council have power to direct extension of tramway to any street of suitable gradient, provided there be reason to believe traflic would pay six per cent, on capital. Tier Star of the East Company cleaned up last Thursday, the result, from about 200 tons of stone, being 2130z lMwt. The Cromwell Company's last crushing amounted to 4220z. The following resolution was carried at the special meeting of the City Council : — "That the letter from Messrs. Sievwright and Stout, containing an offer from the Manse tenants, be referred to the Fnance Committee, to confer with Messrs. Sievwright and Stout with a view to purchase and settlement, and to report to the Council at a special meeting to be called for that purpose." It is evident that the " Bhaughraun" is to be the trump card of the season. On Tuesday there was even a fuller house than on the first representation, and the jnece was received with the warmest' marks of appreciation. An accident happened in the New Zealand Clothing Factory on Monday morning. A girl, about fifteen years of age, happened to drop something under the machine at which she works, and, when stooping, her hair gob entangled in the traverse-bar which drives all the machinery of that establishment. Had it not been that her screams were heard by Mr. M'Bride, the foreman, who immediately stopped the engine, the girl might have lost her life. As it was, hoi* hands were much bruised and some of her hair was fairly torn out of of her head. The Prince of Wales' birthday, was, in accordance_with custom, observe il as a close holiday. The usual salute was fired by the Dunedin Artillery. The Gt-overnment Offices and all the business establishments in the city were shut, and from forenoon till evening the streets had quite a deserted appearance-. Those wishing to enjoy themselves for the day had full opportunity of doing so, as there were several sources of amusement open to them, consisting of pic-nica, steamboat and railway excursions. There is no city in New Zealand in which a public holiday is kept with more pleasurable appreciation of its benefit as an excuse for cessation from toil than hi Dunedin j and that so many can afford to enjoy it in the hearty manner that thousands did on Tuesday is a very substantial proof of the prosperity of large numbers of our population, and the easy circumstances in which they live. The capacity of the trains was tested to the very utmost, and even the ruuning of additional ones did not serve to meet the very large demands of holiday seekers, anxious as were the railway authorities to leave no ground for complaint. Of course it is the Eaiiway Department which has in a great measure created this demand for pleasure seeking beyond the bounds of the city and suburbs ; and this in itself is an advantage, inasmuch as it affords the city people an opportunity of becoming acquainted with something more of the Province than the main street and the surroundings of their dwellings ; while, on the other hand, it gives the country people an opportunity of enlarging their ideas on the subject of citylife. Appropriately, then, in this instance, it may be said of the " iron horse " that it is a great civiliser. The benefit; it is the means of con-ferring-upon society generally is not less felt than that experienced in commerce, and is equally as much appreciated. Some idea of the traffic may be gathered from the fact that the cash takings at the main Dunedin station amounted to £480. The receipts of the Oamaru and Invercargill sections are expected to bring the day's takings up to | £800. Spellins-bees have fairly taken root in Dunedin. At one of these interesting entertainments recently given at Port Chalmers about twenty competitors presented themselves, and, after the usual baffling with such words as "satyr," "rhinoceros," "steppe," "volleyed," "spittoon," "rhododendron," " cameleopard," &c, the contest Avas brought to a close by the judges awarding the first prize to Mr. W. Downes. The Provincial Grovernmenfc, it appears, is determined to lose no time in surveying the Hundreds which have been recently proclaimed, namely, Kyeburn, Tapanui, Landslip Hill, North G-lenkeuich, South Grlenkenich, Otakarama, Chatton, and Kingston. These, in the aggregate, comprise 125,000 acres of the best land in Otago remaining to be settled upon. Fuosi'the oilspring we (' Poverty Bay Herald ') learn that Mr. Parsons has succeeded in tubing a drill-hole without any difficulty. He now expects to be able to bore from 20ft. to 25ft. per diem, should nothing occur to interrupt his work. As a proof of the abundance of the oil found near the surface, we may mention that 14ft. of ie has accumulated in the old shaft. The G-reymouth Gas Company has declared a dividend of 20 per cent. We would call the attention of our readers to the advertisement of the St. Bathan's Art Union, giving' the winning numbers. British and other mails close on the 16th hist.

. The rain that has fallen during the past few days lias been most grateful, and has produced a most beneficial effect upon the crops throughout the Oamaru district. Both Ihe wheat and the oats were "beginning to want moisture, and feed for sheep was getting dried up. The 'N. O. Times ' estimates the rain as equal to £10,000 to the Oaxnaru district. The Awamoto railway is now rapidly approaching completion, the contractor having received the material for which he was waiting, and in a few days it will be ready to be opened for traffic, up to within a few chains of tho Maerewhenua River. The ' N.O. Times ' tmderstands the Provincial Government will take over the line as soon as the little that remains to be done is finished. It affords us much pleasure to have to call the attention of our readers to an advertisement, which will bo fotind in another column, convening a meeting for Monday evening, at half -past seven, in St. , Joseph's School-room, for the purpese of making final arrangements for the Christian Brothers. The introduction of the good brothers to New Zealand is an event in the history of Catholic institutions second only in importance to that of the clergy. On Sunday evening last His Lordship announced the good news that four of the brothers were on their way here, and the eager manner "in which every one listened to his remarks on the subject is evidence of the pleasure all felt in the announcement. We hope that every Catholic will feel it his duty to attend the meeting, and go into the question of ways and means with their usual pluck. It is expected that the postal card will be in use on the first of the new year. "The card is a very neat, handy piece of white or colored pasteboard — bearing an impressed stamp, and requiring only to be filled in with the message on- one side, and the address on the other, will be issued at the cost of . the stamp — one penny. The small space at the disposal of the writer will do away with the unnecessary form which attends letter-writing, and the communications will be simply in the shape of business memoranda. The cards will be of such size and substance as to be easily carried in the pocket, and a traveller or person walking along the street can scribble down any note or message he wishes to send, and drop it into the nearest post-office receiving box. The messages of the card-postage will be telegrams in bi'evity, while, as regards cheapness and convenience, they will surpass anything which the public has yet known. The formal opening of the Juvenile Contingent in connection with the Lawrence Branch H.A.C.B.S. took place on Monday evening last, under the direction of the senior officers of the branch. Considerable interest appeared to be taken in the proceedings. Previous to tie meeting, the juveniles were treated to an abundant supply of fruit, cakes, sweets, &c, which appeared to be not the least interesting feature of the evening. The number of candidates enrolled was twenty-one, and the election of officers resulted as follows : — President, Bro. Patrick Curtin ; vice-President, Bio. James Cosgro^e; Sesretary, Bro. James Harris ; Warden, Bro. James McCluskey ; Guardian, Bro. Frederick Monaghan. The following extract from a letter from the corresponding Secretary shows the estimation in which the Lawrence Branch is held. "We (the E.D ) are delighted with the progress made by the Lawrence Branch. There are evidently good men at the head of affairs or the Branch oould'not progress as it has."